Palliative care provides integrated care for the seriously ill. So many elderly people suffer needlessly from uncoordinated care from multiple specialists, palliative care can help.

The Wall Street Journal’s Clare Ansberry recently reported a story that is astonishing and important: Caring for Older Relatives Is So Expensive That Even AARP’s Expert Filed for Bankruptcy.

The article tells the story of Amy Goyer, the AARP’s family and caregiving expert. Despite having written two books on the subject and having her own consulting business, when both of her parents fell ill, she ended up relying on credit cards after her own finances were drained to pay for the cost of their care.

Estate planning can be hard for those without children, close family members or friends to help. But professional fiduciaries, banks with trust services and financial services companies with trust services can help.

The number of obituaries featuring a mention of casseroles was up 43% since the pandemic started. Food evokes such lovely memories of who we were. What recipes could you share now?

Grief is with us this holiday season. Don’t ignore your own, or that of others. Instead, find a way to acknowledge and recognize the sadness.

Warren Hellman left the world a legacy of an amazing and totally free music festival. It gave him joy when he was alive, too. What can you do today that brings you joy and can outlive you?

Annoucing Women & Wills: your source for smart, useful estate planning information, aimed at women of all ages. If you are intimidated by estate planning, don’t be. Trust me. You have all the information, education and saavy you need to get the job done.

Proposition 19 makes significant changes to the basic rules for property tax transfers between parents and children (and grandparents to grandchildren) as of February of 2021. Spoiler alert: your children are most likely going to be paying more property taxes than you are.

Here are the basics. The complexities are still be worked out as the Board of Equalization and the County Assessors work to implement the new law.

Is it OK to leave your children unequal shares of your assets?

“Fair” is different in each family. Fair might be giving more to one child with greater need or to recognize a child’s caretaking efforts over the years. But fair also might mean equal shares for everyone in the interest of maintaining family harmony after you’ve died.